Our most recent updates on the site exemplify what I hope the site can be about. We've just added a pair of local artist charity CDs to our PREviews page and one to our REviews page. And, true enough, The 12 Bands of Christmas, Vol. 7 and Rock By The Sea, Vol. 1 (featuring artists from Georgia and Florida respectively) are available on Amazon and through other on-line outlets this year. But where would you ever hear of Christmas In The Mountains, Vol. IV (from the Appalachian region on North Carolina) if someone weren't around to bring it to your attention? These are charity efforts, after all. These CDs represent artists giving of their time and talents for the benefit of others. It's the true spirit of Christmas in action. And the artists involved could likely care less if I mention their names. But the sales of these discs actually matter. The more copies they sell, the more money gets to people who need it. You can go anywhere to find out what people think of Mariah Carey's new holiday effort or read a review of Brian Setzer's latest. And it's not that I won't do previews and reviews of major artist releases. I will. But people need a place to go to learn about releases from independent and local artists and charity efforts like these.
Until recently, ChristmasReviews.com was that place. Christmas Reviews is shutting down their doors after a dozen years of providing Christmas music fans such as myself with a place to learn about the CDs no one else wants to talk about, because they're just too "obscure" and "small". There's nothing "small" about raising money to feed children and fight cancer. Nothing. I know it would be neigh on impossible to fill the huge shoes of Christmas Reviews, but I do hope Stubbys can fill a tiny bit of that void.
And Stubby luvs him some local artist Christmas compilation. As a subset of the entire genre, it's easily my favorite.
In Christmas music, local artist comps are the closest thing to opening the good Christmas presents on Christmas morning. You know the ones. OK, this box probably has socks and that one has that little gadget I was asking for, but, ooooh, what's in this one?
Until recently, ChristmasReviews.com was that place. Christmas Reviews is shutting down their doors after a dozen years of providing Christmas music fans such as myself with a place to learn about the CDs no one else wants to talk about, because they're just too "obscure" and "small". There's nothing "small" about raising money to feed children and fight cancer. Nothing. I know it would be neigh on impossible to fill the huge shoes of Christmas Reviews, but I do hope Stubbys can fill a tiny bit of that void.
And Stubby luvs him some local artist Christmas compilation. As a subset of the entire genre, it's easily my favorite.
In Christmas music, local artist comps are the closest thing to opening the good Christmas presents on Christmas morning. You know the ones. OK, this box probably has socks and that one has that little gadget I was asking for, but, ooooh, what's in this one?
With the local artist compilation, you never know what to expect. Once in awhile, you'll catch a future star. In 1993, a full year before their assault on the national charts, a little known outfit with the unlikely moniker of Hootie and The Blowfish turned up on a local artist Xmas comp out of Georgia. Nine years later, another Georgia holiday comp included the first recorded performance of Sugarland. And, just as often, a major artist will donate a song to a compilation from their home town or region, as has happened frequently in the Christmas In The Northwest series. But those occurrences are just extra icing on an already delicious cake.
Musically, such compilations can be, and usually are, all over the map. I like that in a compilation. There are originals of every kind--some clever, some fun, some heart wrenching--and different arrangements of the old standards. These albums rarely get distributed beyond the local area. And they're usually available, in comparatively limited numbers, for the one year and then they're gone...even before the last bit of snow has disappeared from the ground. When the proceeds are for charity, the collections are just that much more special--that much more Christmas. The local artists get some exposure, worthy charities raise much needed funds, and the listener gets some great new holiday music. Everybody wins!
If you hear of a local artist Christmas compilation in your little corner of the world, we'd appreciate a heads up. Then we can help send others your way.
Musically, such compilations can be, and usually are, all over the map. I like that in a compilation. There are originals of every kind--some clever, some fun, some heart wrenching--and different arrangements of the old standards. These albums rarely get distributed beyond the local area. And they're usually available, in comparatively limited numbers, for the one year and then they're gone...even before the last bit of snow has disappeared from the ground. When the proceeds are for charity, the collections are just that much more special--that much more Christmas. The local artists get some exposure, worthy charities raise much needed funds, and the listener gets some great new holiday music. Everybody wins!
If you hear of a local artist Christmas compilation in your little corner of the world, we'd appreciate a heads up. Then we can help send others your way.
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